Katie916
New member
Hello, I'm new to the forum and pretty new to owning axolotls. Before buying them, I did a ton of research to make sure I would be able to give them the environment and everything else they need so I've always been very careful with them to make sure they're as happy and healthy as possible.
I have two axolotls, one a leucistic and one a wildtype. When I got them 4 months ago they were probably 3 or 4 inches. The leucistic (Rufus) was probably half an inch smaller than the wildtype (Mushu) but they both seemed to get along fine with each other. They would swim around and bump into each other and even stacked a few times (there's pictures of them together within the two months after I first got them).
They are currently in a 10 gallon and have been since I got them. I know the 10 gallon is too small especially after they're fully grown but it is only temporary for another month or two max until I have room to get a 20 gallon long tank. The tank has fine sand and lots of fake plants with two pipe tubes, a large rock cave, and several terracotta pots (picture of the 10 gallon and normal set up below).
The tank has been running since September and cycled since the end of October (about 9 months). I check the water parameters once a week and all the levels have been fine and normal since October. I also do weekly 15% water changes or every other week 30% water changes if a week is unusually busy. And they get a full cube of frozen bloodworms each every other day. I have given them earthworms on and off and they love them but it's easier for me to use frozen bloodworms.
They are both about 6 inches long now and about 6 weeks ago I noticed a huge chunk, probably half an inch, missing from the end of Mushu's tail. Before that they had both been fine together. I put a divider in the tank for only a few days to let him start to heal without Rufus bothering him. Within three weeks it was already completely grown back. Sometime around that time I noticed a chunk the same size missing from the end of Rufus's tail. Again I put the divider in. At this point I was worried that they would continue biting each other so I left it in and it's been in for about three weeks (picture of Mushu's tail missing the chunk after it started growing back and the tank with the divider in below - Mushu is hiding under the filter and behind the tube).
Now that Rufus's tail has grown back, I decided to pull the divider out to see how they do together again. Before the divider was even out of the water, Rufus went after Mushu and bit him and he freaked out. He jumped so high out of the water and made such a big splash that I thought he may have jumped out of the tank (he didn't, thank God). So I put the divider back in and jumped on here to see if I could get any advice.
Is this probably something that is going to continue happening? Am I going to have to keep them separated?
Was Rufus going after Mushu just because they aren't used to each other anymore and they need time to get used to each other again? Or was Rufus biting out of aggression or something?
Is there anything I can do, aside from the 20 gallon long, so they don't have to be separated? Would a 20 gallon long even help at this point or should I consider getting a second 10 gallon and keep them in two different tanks?
On a side note, I read a while ago that their fingers turn black when they're full grown. Rufus is only 6 inches and yet her fingers are very dark. (I know Rufus is a boys name but I call her a she anyways because she's pink and she's too young to determine gender :happy: ) Does that mean she's done growing or almost done growing?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance :happy:
I have two axolotls, one a leucistic and one a wildtype. When I got them 4 months ago they were probably 3 or 4 inches. The leucistic (Rufus) was probably half an inch smaller than the wildtype (Mushu) but they both seemed to get along fine with each other. They would swim around and bump into each other and even stacked a few times (there's pictures of them together within the two months after I first got them).
They are currently in a 10 gallon and have been since I got them. I know the 10 gallon is too small especially after they're fully grown but it is only temporary for another month or two max until I have room to get a 20 gallon long tank. The tank has fine sand and lots of fake plants with two pipe tubes, a large rock cave, and several terracotta pots (picture of the 10 gallon and normal set up below).
The tank has been running since September and cycled since the end of October (about 9 months). I check the water parameters once a week and all the levels have been fine and normal since October. I also do weekly 15% water changes or every other week 30% water changes if a week is unusually busy. And they get a full cube of frozen bloodworms each every other day. I have given them earthworms on and off and they love them but it's easier for me to use frozen bloodworms.
They are both about 6 inches long now and about 6 weeks ago I noticed a huge chunk, probably half an inch, missing from the end of Mushu's tail. Before that they had both been fine together. I put a divider in the tank for only a few days to let him start to heal without Rufus bothering him. Within three weeks it was already completely grown back. Sometime around that time I noticed a chunk the same size missing from the end of Rufus's tail. Again I put the divider in. At this point I was worried that they would continue biting each other so I left it in and it's been in for about three weeks (picture of Mushu's tail missing the chunk after it started growing back and the tank with the divider in below - Mushu is hiding under the filter and behind the tube).
Now that Rufus's tail has grown back, I decided to pull the divider out to see how they do together again. Before the divider was even out of the water, Rufus went after Mushu and bit him and he freaked out. He jumped so high out of the water and made such a big splash that I thought he may have jumped out of the tank (he didn't, thank God). So I put the divider back in and jumped on here to see if I could get any advice.
Is this probably something that is going to continue happening? Am I going to have to keep them separated?
Was Rufus going after Mushu just because they aren't used to each other anymore and they need time to get used to each other again? Or was Rufus biting out of aggression or something?
Is there anything I can do, aside from the 20 gallon long, so they don't have to be separated? Would a 20 gallon long even help at this point or should I consider getting a second 10 gallon and keep them in two different tanks?
On a side note, I read a while ago that their fingers turn black when they're full grown. Rufus is only 6 inches and yet her fingers are very dark. (I know Rufus is a boys name but I call her a she anyways because she's pink and she's too young to determine gender :happy: ) Does that mean she's done growing or almost done growing?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance :happy:
